Let Love Lead the Way
by DigiExpert
Summary: Songfic. When disaster has struck, how does this affect Rainbow? How does she cope with it? She doesn't realize the effect of her actions, until two others step in to help pull her through.


**So it may or may not have been noticed that I did not post a new chapter of Lost Storms. I have a reason for it, and that would be this story. I spent last week and this week working on it, and this morning while my kids were standardized testing, I finally finished it. It's WESTEST week so I have plenty of free time in the mornings... with all my work caught up, solitaire and writing are my time passers. I had not imagined it would become 13 pages, but it did, making it my longest oneshot to date (my previous record was 12 pages with _Someone's Princess, Someone's Shame_) I really love how this turned out. I would have posted it as soon as I got home, but the lyrics needed tweaking. All in all, something I am quite proud of!**

**Note: There are a few references in here to my "Time and Time Again" oneshot, but it is not necessary that you read it in order to understand this. If there's a bit that seems outta left field, it's possibly because it's a reference to that story. Ask me and I'll tell you, or you can read the story yourself. It's another recent favorite of mine. If you like stories featuring Brian, it's a good read for you.  
**

**I do not own the Rainbow Brite characters nor the song "Let Love Lead the Way" by the Spice Girls. This story is a bit of a twist on the meaning, but I believe it works very well with this story. If you want to hear the song, go to Youtube and search for it. The original idea for the song comes from randomly listening to it and picturing Rainbow Brite acting out some of the lyrics...it morphed into something much deeper from that.**

**Finally, this month has marked my 8th year on . I've come a long way from the middle schooler I used to be, first writing a shameless Mary Sue Digimon fic in a notebook that I still have to this very day. Of course, that story wasn't my first story on , but still. There's definitely improvement and growth as an author. I hope you'll agree.  
**

**Let Love Lead the Way**

_What makes this world go round?  
Will the answer let her down?  
She is so sweet and young  
And her life has just begun.__  
What does her future hold?__  
That's the story left unknown.__  
Will she make it through her days?  
Let our love lead the way._

It had been some time since she had last come to this place. She could never stomach the feeling of despair and death that still lingered, yet she still returned, year after year. The details of the history surrounding it did not register in her mind. Around her, people walked on past, not minding the child in the rainbow colored dress. The sounds and life of the city surrounded her. Passersby shuffled and jockeyed their way through the crowds. Yet, they couldn't see her or detect her presence. Perhaps in the past, she might have been tempted to show herself, but now there was no need. These people could not understand the pain and torment they had caused, nor did she feel they would care. She would have felt differently before.

A flicker of an image came to the forefront of her mind and just for a moment she could see his smiling face, that determined smile of his. In her memory, he laughed at something before fading away once more. A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered his first visits to Rainbow Land, and his friendly rivalry with Red Butler. He'd grown up as the years passed, fighting for his country before moving away to the city to work. It had been strange to see these changes, as she hadn't shown herself to an Earth human before. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she wasn't so sure of that course of action.

Dull blue eyes glanced once more at the scene before glancing toward the cold concrete of the sidewalk. She toed the concrete with a boot, scuffing it. Turning away from the scene, she made her way through the maze of streets before finding the clearing she wanted. A rustling noise came from a set of bushes in the distance before a white horse with a rainbow colored mane appeared before her. Just as she was invisible to being seen, so was he. That didn't mean that they didn't take the necessary precautions to prevent any slip-up. A child in a party-like dress was easily explained away. A horse with rainbow coloring was not.

"Let's go home," she whispered as she swung herself upon his back. She pressed a finger to the rainbow belt at her waist, the white star glowing brilliantly as a rainbow pathway shot forward and climbed high into the clear blue sky. Her horse ran forth and along the path, the only sounds to be heard were the pounding of his hooves against the rainbow. Neither rider nor horse spoke to each other.

The girl looked up at the stars as they crossed the universe to return home. Each ball of gas shown brilliantly, but they held no beauty for those eyes. Instead, she stared forward again, focusing on the path ahead, trying to clear her mind of the things she had been seeing. She couldn't shake the images and memories created there.

_Part of me laughs (ooooh)  
Part of me cries  
Part of me wants to question why (question why)  
Why is there joy?  
And why is there pain (ooh)  
Why is there sunshine and the rain?  
One day you're here.  
Next you are gone_

_(Flashback)_

Rainbow slid off her horse, quickly turning to look at the boy before her who had walked into the rainbow, covering himself in colors. "Hey, why didn't you look up at the rainbow?" she asked, finger pointed to the sky.

"Who are you? Where do you come from How-how does that horse fly?" he rapidly fired back, question after question.

Rainbow let out a sigh before smiling and shrugging her shoulders. "Boy, you've got more questions than colors. Okay, I'm Rainbow Brite, and this is Twink, and—"

She was cut off as Starlite quickly cut in to give his own introduction. "Starlite, the magnificent horse, the glory of the galaxy…"

"He talks!" whispered the boy in shocked surprise.

"You see, we're from Rainbow Land," explained Rainbow once more.

"Rainbow Land?" asked the boy, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes, we put all the color in the world," answered Rainbow, spreading her arms out.

"Colors make you happy!" added Twink with a smile.

"Happy? How?" questioned the boy again, still in disbelief.

"I'll show you. Twink, some yellow star sprinkles." Twink reached into the brown pouch at his belt and pulled out a small handful of yellow star sprinkles before handing them over to Rainbow. "Now, see that gloomy old bee?" She pointed off into the distance where a dull bee buzzed about miserably. Holding the star sprinkles to her belt, she watched as a ball of light formed and blew it toward the bee, a rainbow appearing from the ball.

The boy watched as the rainbow light hit the bee head on. Suddenly, the bee was flying and buzzing about at rapid speeds, clearly reenergized. It buzzed around his head before flying off into the distance. "Well, I'm not a bee's belly. Look, you better get this off me. My father's a lawyer!" he threatened.

"We'll have to take him to Rainbow Land to get the colors off," Rainbow mentioned to Twink.

"We can't do that," replied Twink in a hushed whisper.

"No outsider has ever seen Rainbow Land," added Starlite with a toss of his head.

"But it's not right to leave him this way," argued Rainbow. She turned back to the boy. "Okay, I'll get your colors off, but you'll have to come to Rainbow Land."

"Me? Go there? I-I dunno. I can't. My mother wants me to come home," answered the boy, stumbling over his words, trying to hide the fact that he had no idea what this "Rainbow Land" was. Didn't his teacher always say never to go with strangers?

"You'll get to ride Starlite," interjected Rainbow as she turned to Starlite. Twink helped her up onto the horse's back before being pulled up. "And we'll have you back in no time," she added, waving for him to join them.

The boy suddenly rushed forth, hopping aboard Starlite and pulling Twink up behind him. "Okay!" he agreed.

Just like that, a friendship was born between an Earth boy and the child of rainbows. It would be the first and last time that she would ever show herself to someone on Earth. The consequences that had followed her action had been hard to swallow. Naivety played a key role in what had occurred. Regret had never crossed her mind after that time, but she still wondered if she would have been better off to have left things be. It was a question that could never be answered.

_No matter what we must go on  
Just keep the faith  
And let love lead the way  
Everything will work out fine  
If you let love, love lead the way_

Sliding from her horse once they arrived in Rainbow Land, she walked toward the Color Castle. "Rainbow, do you want to—" Starlite was cut off by a dismissive wave of Rainbow's hand. He snorted and turned, trotting in the other direction. This mood of Rainbow's was very hard to read, but it was the same every year around this time. She never had been the same bright and cheerful girl ever since that tragedy, but it was this day that made her twice as bad.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty hallways of the Color Castle, reflecting the emptiness she felt inside. No one was around to stop and greet her. If they had been, they wouldn't have stayed very long. None of the Color Kids were able to figure out how to deal with Rainbow or her moods. They had not been as close to him as she had been. He had partaken in Rainbow Land's festivals and celebrations of all sorts until he began to lose touch with their world and slowly he came less and less, until he came no more.

The day that had happened had been a terrible one indeed. Rainbow had tried to appear to him as he had grown into a teenager and then an adult, fighting for his country, but it had failed. If he had not even an iota of belief in anything that was not "normal", she couldn't appear. It was as though a barrier had been erected, one she couldn't get around. Before that, barriers like that had never been known to have existed. She had never encountered it in any of her travels, nor had anyone whose advice she sought. Until he could believe again, it was as though she never existed.

Rainbow pushed open the door to her room, taking note of her surroundings. Everything was in place, as it should be. Nothing lay out on her bureau and her bed was flawlessly made. Puppy Brite and Kitty Brite were nowhere to be seen. She crossed the short path to her bed and flopped back onto it, laying spread eagle and staring at the ceiling. She was supposed to bring color and happiness to the world, yet when she visited Earth, she didn't see that color made any difference to many people. She'd tested it many times just to be certain of this conclusion. The memory of the time she'd visited a park in the early morning light to touch up some dull flowers came to mind.

_(Flashback)_

Rainbow happily walked about the shady park. The sun was just beginning to rise, but it couldn't be seen in this city very well. Tall buildings of all sorts blocked much of the view so that only wisps and strands of color were visible. It didn't bother her much, not as much as these lifeless flowers did. There was no vibrancy to them, and the green around them seemed to be turning brown as well. Rainbow made her way through the park, making sure that no humans were nearby. She couldn't be seen, but her work changes could be. If someone suddenly saw the flowers get brighter with color, they might suspect something.

Certain that no one was around, she reached out a hand. "Pass me some star sprinkles, Twink," she said to her trusty sprite that had been following behind her silently. Twink fished around in his pouch before procuring a handful of the colorful stars and passing them off to Rainbow's waiting hand. Rainbow offered him a smile, and he smiled back. "This won't take long," she explained to him. "Soon this park will be full of colorful life again, and the people will be happy to come here."

She held the star sprinkles to her Color Belt, and watched as the Belt activated the magic within the star sprinkles. A rainbow ribbon came forth from the star on the Color Belt, wrapping and twisting its way about the flower beds and grass. Colored powder fell from the rainbow, dousing everything directly below it. It wasn't long before the flowers were rich in color and the grass and leaves were a bright green. She grinned and looked at Twink, who nodded back at her with his own smile.

Suddenly, they heard a noise nearby. Rainbow and Twink dashed to hide behind a tree, even though they couldn't be seen. They watched before them as a man in his twenties emerged around a bend in the path. He was sneezing and rubbing at his noise. "Stupid allergies. Stupid pollen," he muttered to himself. His eyes roamed over the area, settling on the flowers. "And what's so good about these flowers? I swear this park is better when everything's dead!" As if to make his point known, he grabbed a fistful of them and yanked them up by the roots, tossing them aside angrily.

A hand rose to Rainbow's mouth in shock. She had never witnessed anyone so violently destroy something so beautiful. All the hard work that she and Twink had done to make sure this spot was just as colorful as anywhere else was ruined by a simple action.

The man smirked before continuing on, making sure to stomp on the discarded flowers as he went past. He soon disappeared down the path, leaving the area just as quiet as it had been before his arrival. The flowers lay on the sidewalk, bent and broken.

Rainbow ran from her spot and over to the flowers. Kneeling, she delicately picked one up in her hands. "This is awful, Twink. No star sprinkles can ever bring these flowers back," lamented Rainbow. Twink merely nodded sadly.

_(End Flashback)_

_Sitting there all alone  
In the window of her room  
Watching the world go by  
Brings tears to her eyes  
All she sees is hurt and pain, she wants to break the chain  
She'll keep pressing everyday and she'll find her own sweet way_

She found herself at her window yet again, elbow supporting her head while it rested on her chin. Since that first day, she'd explored more of the Earth, outside of what she'd known with Brian and the areas she'd visited to brighten with color. In all her years as the protector of Rainbow Land, she'd never encountered such violence and cruelty as she'd seen on Earth. She'd witnessed everything from children bullying to adults murdering. Cries and bloodshed echoed in her memories, making her feel sick to her stomach.

Part of her wished that she had never decided to explore the areas that were inhabited by humans. Part of her wished that she'd simply kept to uninhabited areas and those where only animals roamed. She could never undo what she'd seen in her mind, could never undo her actions. The worst part, the bit that made her sick to her stomach was that no matter what she tried or did, nothing could change these humans. They would never listen to her, looking like a young girl. The rainbow could only do so much. Even if she used its powers, and it caused the same effect as it had on Brian, there was no way she would take them back to Rainbow Land. She would not introduce that level of violence to her home.

Rainbow sighed and looked out upon Rainbow Land, toward the sprites' homes. Their nature would never allow such violence and cruelty. No sprite would ever think of harming another. There was teasing at times, but never quarrels or fights that led to worse paths. She thought of the Color Kids, and how they'd all coexisted peacefully, with little more than teasing, with an insult here and there. No violence, no cruelty. Even Murky, with all his intentions could never be as cruel or violent as those she had seen on Earth. Perhaps he had the capability to be, but he'd never sunk so low as to act upon it. She was beginning to learn that not everyone lived as she did.

_Part of me laughs (me laughs)  
Part of me cries (I cry)  
Part of me wants to question why (wants to question why)_

A knocking on her door brought her out of her reverie. She pulled herself away from the window, and walked slowly toward her door. She pressed her ear lightly against it, hoping to hear who it might be, but she could hear nothing save for another knock. She turned the knob and pulled the door back, finding Stormy standing outside. She appeared nervous, fidgeting with her hands. She waited for Stormy to speak.

"H-how was your trip?" she asked in a soft voice after a pause.

"The same as it is every year," replied Rainbow. "I don't know why I go there anymore."

"Because you miss him. We all do," answered Stormy.

Rainbow nodded, as though agreeing with her. "I know… how can humans cause so much destruction?" It was a broad question.

Stormy looked at Rainbow, considering her answer. "It's hard to answer that one. I don't know why they do it. I guess some like doing it. You learn to look past it after awhile."

"I can't do that. It's too hard to ignore."

"Rainbow, we can't do anything about it. I've seen what the humans can do on my trips to Earth. They are powerful and dangerous, with weapons that are meant to kill. It's not like battling Murky or even the Princess. Bloodshed and death is the goal of war there, sometimes without any other goal."

"But we should try," protested Rainbow, a fiery look consuming her bright blue eyes.

Stormy shook her head. "Come with me," she said, reaching for Rainbow's arm. She took hold and making sure that Rainbow was going to follow, tugged lightly. She led Rainbow from her room and through the halls of the Color Castle, taking her outside into the bright sunlight. They walked along the path through the sprite village. Sprites called and waved at the pair. Stormy waved back, as did Rainbow, who could only wave half-heartedly.

_One day you're here (you're here)  
Next you are gone (you're gone)  
No matter what we must go on (I will go on)  
Just keep the faith (keep your faith)  
And let love lead the way (I know, I know, I know, ooh whoa)_

Beyond the sprite village, Stormy turned right to enter the Rainbow Land Forest. This area was occupied by various animals, most of whom could be heard but not seen. They continued into the forest, until they came upon clearing. Here was a small memorial marker, carved in stone. On it, a few words were written:

_Brian_

_We will always remember you._

_September 11, 2001_

A specific date had been carved into the stone for Brian's death. No one knew what it really meant, only that it was the exact phrase that every newspaper and person who could be overheard had mentioned. Rainbow remembered how she had swiped a newspaper with the big headlines, knowing deep down what it truly meant. Her mind flashed back to that day, remembering how she had discovered Brian's death.

_(Flashback)_

Rainbow rode atop Starlite, Twink at her side. They were making their usual trip, right before fall began. Every season they'd make a visit to Brian, usually right before the next season began and things became hectic. Brian had long since moved from his mid-West town and no longer lived with his parents. After he'd been honorably discharged from the military, he'd continued working for the government, soon finding himself in an office job in a place called New York City. He'd told Rainbow about it, making sure she could understand. In the city he'd told her that there were two large towers that everyone called the World Trade Center. To Rainbow, it had seemed such a funny name. Brian had told her that she could see these towers from various places in the city.

"Do you think he remembered?" asked Twink.

"I'm sure of it, answered Rainbow happily. "He never misses us. He says he always waits in the park after work each day just to make sure he doesn't."

"Will he come back to Rainbow Land with us this time?"

"I don't know, Twink," answered Rainbow. "He said he would soon. I think he was just really busy the last time."

"Brian never lets us down," added Starlite.

The trio arrived in the park, which Rainbow knew was known as Central Park. Starlite hid himself amongst a clump of bushes, his usual hiding place until Brian arrived. No one could see them except those they chose to show themselves to. Rainbow looked about after she dismounted from Starlite, looking for signs of Brian. She didn't see him anywhere nearby. "Maybe he's running late," she theorized, taking a seat on a nearby park bench.

She waited patiently, observing the rest of the park. Usually, it was packed full of visitors, from children to senior citizens. There was always noise in Central Park, but today, no one could be seen or heard. It was eerily empty. In the distance, sirens could be heard around the city. Rainbow had no idea what was going on. She could see towers of smoke in the distance, but nothing more.

After an hour of waiting, she rose from her spot. "Maybe he got too busy at work today. Let's try again tomorrow," she said, climbing onto Starlite's back. She pulled Twink up behind her.

The next day, the trio returned, only to find that Brian never showed then either. The park was still empty, far from its usual fullness that Rainbow had grown accustomed to. "I wonder where everybody is," she wondered out loud.

"I don't know," replied Starlite. "I have a bad feeling about it though."

When still Brian never showed on the third day, Rainbow decided to venture into the city where she knew he had worked. She left Twink and Starlite in the park while walking downtown. Her invisibility kept her hidden amongst the men and women who hustled and bustled throughout the city. As she made slow progress, a newspaper on the ground caught her eye. It had a striking bold headline and then an image below it. She glanced over it, and as she read it, her heart sank into her stomach and she felt as though she was going to be sick. She rushed back to the park, newspaper in hand.

It didn't take long to explain everything she knew to the two of them. Hoping against all hope, Starlite, Twink, and Rainbow raced across the rainbow path back to Brian's home. There, they discovered the truth, one that Rainbow had hoped wasn't true. She felt sick to her stomach as she noted the funeral visitors and the American flag outside. It was true. Brian had been killed in the collapse of the towers. The next thing she knew, the contents of her stomach were on the ground by the tree they were standing near.

_(End Flashback)_

_You can be all that and still can be who you are  
You gotta know for sure that it isn't make believe  
You may feel weak but you are strong  
Don't you give up cause  
If you keep holding on, you'll never be wrong  
Just close your eyes cause it lies deep in your heart, yeah_

That day had occurred awhile ago. Rainbow was not accustomed to Earth years or keeping track. Something inside her each year reminded her that she needed to visit that place, the same place where she knew Brian had worked and been killed in the end. It had been some time, this she knew. She had been there five times since, each time a painful visit, a sad reminder of the first and only Earth boy she had befriended and shown Rainbow Land.

A hand on her shoulder jolted her back to the present, to the forest and the memorial marker in front of her. "What do you remember most about him?" the voice asked her. She registered it as Stormy's, remembering that it had been Stormy's idea to come here in the first place.

Rainbow considered the question carefully before answering him. "The first time I met him. He was stubborn and quick to emotion. I remember his surprise when he first saw Rainbow Land."

"Why do you think he kept coming here?"

"It made him happy. He was our friend and he had fun here. He loved helping out, even when we were in danger."

"What about after he'd grown up? Why do you think he still came here?" Stormy continued, questions still forming in her mind.

"He still remembered us. He—"

Stormy cut Rainbow short. "Don't you think that he felt like this place was a second home?"

"Maybe…" trailed Rainbow.

"He felt safe here. You used to tell us all about him during his teenage years, when you could see him and he couldn't see you."

"I know, but—"

"He was an outsider. That's why he left home. He cried the first time he came back to Rainbow Land after returning home. This was more than just a place for him to escape to. It was a place where he belonged, where he felt safe and secure."

"Sometimes…sometimes I wish I'd never brought him here… I don't know why I did… but I hate feeling this way. I've never felt so… so…" Rainbow searched for a word to describe it. "Empty inside. What's the point of color anymore, if you can't use it to bring back someone?"

Stormy shook her head. "That's not how it works on Earth and you know better than to say that. Brian lived a good life and he never forgot us after he came home. He wouldn't like seeing you like this, Rainbow. It wouldn't be the Rainbow Brite he remembered."

"I guess so." Rainbow shrugged her shoulders.

Stormy looked directly at Rainbow. "No, you know so. Brian was a good friend to us and we all miss him, but you can't keep living like this. He wouldn't like to see you like this. He'd want you to keep doing your work and to keep the world bright and cheerful."

"No one on Earth cares if things are bright and cheerful!" Rainbow spat, suddenly angry. "I've watched them. They don't care about it. They are too busy with other things."

Stormy looked at her thoughtfully. "True," she answered tersely.

"True?" echoed Rainbow, shocked to see that Stormy would agree with her.

"Yes, true."

"But—"

"Moonglo can help me explain this one," replied Stormy, taking Rainbow's hand. She began to lead her back to the Color Castle.

_Part of me laughs  
Part of me cries (I cry)  
Part of me wants to question why (question)  
Why is there joy?_

_Why is there pain?  
Why is there sunshine then the rain?_

Inside the Color Castle, Stormy led Rainbow down the flight of stairs to the lower level where she, Moonglo, and Tickled Pink had their rooms. Leaving Rainbow outside in the hallway, Stormy slipped inside Moonglo's room to wake her up. Rainbow waited patiently, uncertain as to why Moonglo could help answer her question. She thought about what Stormy had told her. _Brian did love this place… he came here often when he could get away from work. He always helped us, no matter what, even if it meant putting himself in danger too. I can't remember a day he came here that he was sad… if he had been sad before he entered, his smile never disappeared while he was here. I'd forgotten about that…_

Stormy returned a short while later, a somewhat sleepy Moonglo behind her. "Let's go to your room, Rainbow. We can talk there instead of in the hallway here."

Up in her room, the three girls sat cross legged on Rainbow's bed. "Now," began Stormy, "I think the two of us can explain to you about the people on Earth."

Moonglo nodded, more awake and alert after the walk. "Stormy told me what you said. I thought that way too at one time."

"What did you do?" asked Rainbow.

"At first, I felt terrible. I did so much work to decorate the night sky, and no one paid attention. Sometimes I like to visit Earth and see my hard work from a different view. So I'll visit different places on Earth. Some places have so many buildings and lights that you can't see any stars. Other places are big and open, and it reminds me of Rainbow Land. The night sky is brightest in those places. In the places with many buildings, no one stops to look at the sky. They keep moving on in the night, going from one place to another. I saw many things. I saw someone steal from a woman. There were also the shootings I'd see. I got really discouraged by it. The night sky is my job, but these people had no idea what beauty they were missing."

Moonglo's words reverberated with Rainbow. She had seen some of the things Moonglo had. "If people ignored your sky, how did you feel?"

"I was upset. Then one night I visited an open field. There was a family there. I watched and listened to them. They came from the city they said. They talked about how you couldn't see the stars at all in the city, but that in the country, you could see nothing but stars for miles around. They had a little girl too. She was so happy because of the sky. She danced and sang about stars. That night, I figured out something."

"What?" asked Rainbow.

"That even though there are people who don't care to see your work, there are plenty of other people who enjoy it and are happy because of it. It's those people I make the sky for."

Stormy nodded. She had been quiet throughout the discussion. She spoke up. "There are plenty of people who hate my storms, both snow and rain, but there are people out there who love them. They see the beauty in them."

"So there's nothing we can do about everything we see?" asked Rainbow, still hoping that there might be someway…

Moonglo shook her head sadly. "We can't change everyone. We can't make everyone happy from our work, but we have to keep working because there are people we can make happy."

"You're not one to give up easily, Rainbow," added Stormy. "Do you think Brian would want you to do that?"

_One day you're here (you're here)  
Next you are gone (you're gone)  
No matter what we must go on (I will)  
Just keep the faith  
And let love lead the way (lead the way)  
Everything will work out fine  
If you let love, love lead the way  
Love lead the way_

Rainbow looked down at her comforter, picking at the blue fabric. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered Brian once again. The day he'd remembered Rainbow Land and picked her up to hug her had been one of her favorite memories of him. The little boy had grown up and though he'd lost sight of the rainbow for a time, he came back to it in the end. "No," she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.

"And we don't want you to either," said Moonglo as she patted Rainbow's knee.

"If nothing else, you must keep working to spread color for Brian's sake. You were able to teach him that colors can make you happy if you're feeling down. He remembered that lesson and you know he'd be telling you to keep working," stated Stormy.

Rainbow nodded sadly. "I guess so…"

"Rainbow, you know he would. You're acting like Murky's used a gloom cloud on you," answered Moonglo.

Rainbow looked at both her friends and the looks on their faces. They were nothing but caring looks, and she knew that she couldn't act this way for much longer. She didn't want to feel this way, but she missed her friend and the emptiness he left behind ate at her. It did feel like Murky had used a gloom cloud on her. Could she let Murky's dismal feelings win her over, even though he'd done nothing to cause it? She squeezed her hands into fists. If she kept feeling like this, Rainbow Land could turn into the Pits. That was the last thing she wanted to see. She had sworn to protect Rainbow Land from ever being covered in darkness again. She looked up at her two friends, a look of determination returning to her eyes. "Murky can't win out. He can never win."

Stormy nodded, happy to see a bit of the old Rainbow returning. "No matter what, we always go on. We keep doing our best, and we never forget those we lose."

"You'll always remember Brian. None of us can forget him," added Moonglo.

Rainbow nodded. "I will. He's one of those people who loved colors. Thank you both…I really needed to talk everything out."

_One Year Later_

The seasons had come and gone, as they always do. Time always marched on, and so did the seasons. She found herself back in the same spot, watching the area, looking at the hustle and bustle of crowds pushing and jockeying for good positions. There were others, like her, paying tribute to those who'd been lost so many years ago. She stood there, undetected, her eyes shining brightly, much more than they had the last time she'd visited. She'd taken her friends' words to heart, and carried them with her wherever she'd gone.

She raised a hand to her lips and blew a kiss toward the area where Brian had spent his last moments. "We miss you, Brian. We always will," she whispered softly. She turned away then, and made her way back to the park. Her business here on Earth was yet unfinished. Those in the street who were in the direct pathway of the blown kiss suddenly felt a warm sensation caress their cheeks. They could not describe it or explain it, but those who would later talk about it would say that it reminded them of their childhood, of happy, carefree days.

Rainbow returned to the park where Twink and Starlite were waiting for her. Beside Twink was a large bag of star sprinkles. "Now?" Twink asked eagerly.

"What exactly do you plan to do with all these star sprinkles?" asked Starlite, confused as to why they'd hauled so many.

Rainbow smiled and winked at him. She'd only confided her plan to Twink, Stormy, and Moonglo. She planned to tell everyone else what she had done after they returned to Rainbow Land. "We're going to make the flowers right here the brightest flowers anyone has ever seen!" She gestured to the spot. "This is where we always met Brian. I'm going to make sure that this area never lacks in color, that it's always bright and cheerful. That way if someone who's feeling down walks by here, they might look at the flowers and be cheered by their color and beauty."

"That's a grand idea, Rainbow. How did you think of it?" asked Starlite.

"I'm not sure. It just came to me one day when we were working in that large field. After we'd finished, all the flowers were very bright. I thought we could do the same here."

The bag of star sprinkles was upended and spread over the flowers. Rainbow added the magic of her Color Belt to the mix and soon vibrant flowers looked back at them. Rainbow smiled, looking over her handiwork. "Doesn't that make you feel good inside?" she asked.

"I…I've never seen such magnificent flowers. They don't seem real!" exclaimed Starlite.

"They are though. And they're all for Brian," replied Rainbow with a giggle.

Soon, the trio was racing back to Rainbow Land on the rainbow path. Rainbow was eager to share her accomplishment with the rest of the Color Kids and sprites. The flowers they'd worked on blew gently in the breeze. Rainbow always returned often to brighten those flowers, making sure their brilliancy never faded. Twink and Starlite always helped her, and no one minded having to mine the extra star sprinkles for the trip.

Indeed, they were always so vibrant that those who visited Central Park always commented on how these flowers were the best in the entire city. You couldn't find a better garden anywhere. As to why they always bloomed in such bright colors, well, that remained a mystery. Love and memories kept them from fading. The love that was put into the flowers was passed on to the admiring viewers, always making way through the sadness of anyone who stopped for a moment to look. Some say that if you listen closely, you can hear the laughter of a little girl ringing loud and clear on the breeze.

**Let me know what you think :) Songfics are a pleasure for me to write, and I believe I've come a long way with this type of fanfic from the first time I tried to do one. The song meshes with the story much better than I used to be able to do. If you don't believe me, just look in my author profile at my older stories and you'll see why.  
**


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